We reported, Wednesday, that Bugesera District had recorded a significant drop in child malnutrition, falling from 49 percent in 2007 to 3.5 percent in 2010. According to the district Health Director, the achievement is mainly due to the availability of women volunteers, who have been sensitizing residents on the importance of nutritional health. The volunteers visited 120 homesteads and trained mothers in health and nutrition. Like many other districts, the biggest challenge found by the volunteers in Bugesera was the lack of knowledge regarding nutrition. Malnutrition is a medical condition resulting from insufficient intake of nutrients required to sustain the normal functions of the body. While families have enough food to eat today, it is important that they understand the necessary food nutrients needed for someone to stay healthy. For proper body functioning, it is not only the quantity that counts, but also the quality. The Bugesera volunteers are a concrete example of how knowledge has helped improve the welfare of the Rwandan people. During the signing of the performance contracts, at the Parliament buildings yesterday, the local leaders set various targets aimed at improving the standards of living of their people. As they embark on achieving these targets, they should keep in mind that there are many more initiatives that do not necessarily have a monetary value, but can play a key role in helping them achieve what they have set out to do. Ends
